Supplies
Non-edible materials (boxes, candy cups, labels, packaging) with their own catalog, their use in recipes, and their own cost line in the cost breakdown.
What supplies are
Supplies are the non-edible materials you need to present and pack your production: containers, candy cups, boxes, paper, labels, gloves, and any other consumable. They aren't part of the formula — they add no weight and no nutrition — but they are part of what it costs you to get each bonbon or bar out the door.
AreaCacao treats supplies as a first-class element, with their own catalog, their integration into the recipe, and their own cost line:
- a supplies catalog (
/supplies) where you log each material with its cost and consumption unit; - the supply as a third type of recipe component (alongside ingredients and sub-recipes);
- a dedicated cost line (Supplies cost) in the Costs tab and in the cost breakdown.
Supplies vs. ingredients
Even though they share a pattern (per-user catalog, custom fields, CSV import/export), supplies and ingredients are different things:
| Ingredients | Supplies | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Edible materials (cocoa, sugar, fruit…). | Non-edible materials (boxes, candy cups, labels…). |
| Add weight/nutrition | Yes — they count toward macros, allergens, and total weight. | No — they never count toward weight or nutrition. |
| Catalog | Global base of 10,000+ sheets + your custom ones. | Your own account catalog (you create it). |
| Cost type | Variable, based on quantity and density. | 100% variable, per unit or per batch. |
| In the recipe | Ingredients tab → ingredient cost. | Supplies tab → Supplies cost. |
Rule of thumb: if you eat it, it's an ingredient; if it wraps, presents, or holds the product, it's a supply. An edible chocolate transfer sheet is an ingredient; the candy cup the bonbon sits in is a supply.
How to get there
- URL:
https://app.areacacao.com/supplies - How to get there: side menu → FORMULATION → Supplies.
- The old
/insumoslink redirects automatically to/supplies(covers earlier bookmarks).
The Supplies areas
Supplies catalog
The /supplies screen: search, filters, creating supplies, custom fields, CSV import/export, and cost history.
Supply categories
The example categories and how to rename, delete, or add your own.
Supplies in a recipe
How to add a supply to a recipe and choose between per-unit or per-batch quantity.
Supplies in the cost
How supplies cost feeds the Costs tab and the cost breakdown, with a worked numeric example.
Cost management
The hub where prices, rates, and fixed costs live and which, together with supplies, make up the fully loaded cost.
Availability by plan
The Supplies module is available to any signed-in account, with no plan restriction.